Modified transfer needle and dial assembly



Oct. 5, 1965 T. J. THORE 3,209,555

MODIFIED TRANSFER NEEDLE AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F IGJ.

I I l INVENTOR. THOMAS J. THORE Oct. 5, 1965 T. J. THORE 3,209,556

MODIFIED TRANSFER NEEDLE AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG6 WI E! I 1.

FIGIO.

00 INVENTOR: lo 6% By THOMAS .J. THORE WW ATTYSI United States Patent 3,209,556 MODIFIED TRANSFER NEEDLE AND DIAL ASSEMBLY Thomas J. Thore, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y.,

a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 255,768 4 Claims. (Cl. 66-45) The present invention relates to circular knitting machines and in particular to an improvement in a circular rib-type knitting machine wherein upon completion of the rib knitting operation a transfer operation takes place after which the knitting machine operates as a plain knitting machine and completes the article being knitted by a plain knit.

In the knitting of mens socks or the like, where it is desirable for the cuff of the stocking to possess elastic qualities in a radial direction, in a complete stocking cycle the knitting machine is required to transfer from a rib knit, for example a one-by-one rib knit, to a plain knit for completion of the leg and foot of the half hose. A circular knitting machine of this type typically has a needle cylinder with twice as many needles as are in the dial, the dial being located immediately above the cylinder. The rib knit is accomplished by selecting appropriate needles in the cylinder to cooperate with the dial needles. Typically, jacks are positioned in the slots under the cylinder needles. The odd numbered jacks having one row of butts and the even numbered jacks having a row of butts jacks, the odd numbered needles move vertically upward at different levels by activating only the odd numbered and downward in the slots of the rotating cylinder upon engagement of the butts of the odd jacks with rising and lowering cam surfaces which miss the butts of the even numbered jacks and maintain them inactive. The dial has reciprocating needles placed in slots which are vertically aligned with-the inactive needles, and by actuating both the dial and the active or selected cylinder needles in synchronism, with appropriate yarn feed, a rib knit is formed. When the cuff of the half hose is finished, the inactive needles of the cylinder are activated to engage the dial needles to aifect the transfer from rib knitting to plain knitting. Since the dial needles are in the same vertical plane as the inactive needles in the cylinder, not infrequently a smashup occurs upon transfer. Further if the cylinder needle is bent it may fail to pick off the yarn from the dial needle or may hit the lower portion of the dial needle causing lateral displacement of the dial needle. In the former instance a mis-stitch occurs, while in the latter an uneveness in stitches is evident, both instances causing the loss of an entire half hose.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to pro vide means on the dial needles in cooperation wit-h the dial slots to prevent mis-stitching, Smashups, and excessive lateral movement of the dial needles in this delicate transfer operation.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a portion of the upper part of a circular knitting machine illustrating an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of a portion of the knitting machine illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the relative position of the needles and yarn with the dial needles in a retracted position just prior to the transfer operation;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 with the dial needle in the extended position and the cylinder needle in engagement for the transfer operation;

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FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a dial needle, as shown in FIG. 3

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the dial needle illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section of the dial needle taken along line 66 of FIG. 4 showing a cylinder needle in engagement with a dial needle;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the position of the dial needle in the dial as seen from the center of the dial;

FIG. 8 is an isometric fragmentary view of a portion of the dial showing FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is another view of the portion of the dial shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 1 indicates the needle cylinder and reference character 2 the dial of a circular knitting machine. The cylinder needles are illustrated at 3 and the dial needles at 4. A sinker ring is shown in 5 with associated sinkers 6. In the present instance the dial needles 4 are connected to the lower end of jacks 7 which are pivotably mounted at 8 in an upper dial member 9. The jacks 7 have their upper ends or butts in a dial cam ring 11 for actuation by cams 12 in the latter.

The dial 2 is attached to means which afior-ds rotation of the dial in synchronism with the rotation of the needle cylinder 1. The needles cooperate in the knitting function in a well known manner, and the mechanism by which they are actuated form no part of the present invention and is conventional.

The dial needle 4 is joined separately to the lower end of the jack 7. To this end the needle is formed with a rearward body portion or heel 30 having a semi-cylindrical body 31 which fits a correspondingly shaped socket 32 in the lower end of the jack. Immediately below the body portion 31 is an offset wall portion 33 defining a cylinder needle recess in the side of the needle body. The recess is of maximum depth at the bottom edge of the needle and tapers smoothly upwardly and outwardly to the side surface as indicated in FIG. 6. The function of this recess is to enable the associated cylinder needle 3, shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, to pass upwardly through a yarn loop 20 carried by the dial needle 4, for subsequent transfer of the loop from the dial needle to the cylinder needle. The dial needle 4 is finished out in the conventional manner with a hook 40 and a latch 41. A cylinder needle capture member 34 is attached to the upper body portion of the jack 7 and is designed so as to extend substantially over the offset wall portion 33.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the cylinder needle capture member 34 comprises a thin piece of spring steel the upper end of which has been secured by spot welds to the jack 7. It should be noted that the needle capture member 34 is spaced upwardly on the jack to allow for increased lateral movement of the capture member, for reasons which will hereinafter be explained. The lower end of the needle capture member is notched at 35 and bent inwardly towards the dial needle along the lower leading edge 36 and trailing edge 37, so as to form in conjunction with the recess 33, a pocket into which a cylinder needle may move (see FIG. 5). It should be noted that the lip 38 of the leading edge 36 fits into a detent 42 formed in the round out portion of the dial needle. By this construction the typical yarn loop 20, as shown in FIG. 3, does not pass into the pocket formed by the needle capture member 34 and the cylinder needle recess 33, but rather rides over the lip 38 of the leading edge 36.

In accordance with the invention, guide means is incorporated into the dial to insure against lateral movement of the dial needles 4 with respect to the pivot 8 when engaged with the cylinder needles in the transfer operation, thereby eliminating a major cause of fabric distortion. The ordinary dial used in a circular knitting machine has a series of equally spaced arcuate slots radiating from the center of the dial, which slots serve to guide the dial needles as they move in and out between their extended and retracted positions about the dial needle pivot 8. However, it was discovered that it is desirable to provide means to minimize lateral movement of the dial needles and at the same time to permit limited displacement of the cylinder needle capture member. To this end and in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, the dial is constructed as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. As all the slots on the dial are substantially identical, discussion of one should of necessity cover all.

As is illustrated in FIG. 9, a typical dial slot has an arcuate bottom wall 50 terminating on the left hand side of the slot, looking toward the center of the dial 2, in an upstanding side wall 51, and on the right hand side by a foreshortened upstanding side wall 52. The foreshortened upstanding side wall 52 terminates in an arcuate step portion 53 defining a shoulder portion, the step portion 53 being substantially parallel to the arcuate bottom wall 50. The lateral width of the step portion 53 is wide enough to permit entry of the widest portion of the cylinder needle capture member 34 even when the capture member 34 is laterally spread from the offset wall portion, as upon entry of a bent needle. The right hand side of the step portion 53 terminates in an upstanding side wall 54. Thus the width between upstanding side walls 51 and 54 is such as to laterally accommodate both the dial needle capture member 34 and the dial needle 4. It should be noted that the lateral width between the foreshortened side wall 52 and the upstanding side wall 51 is such that the lateral movement of the dial needle is minimized, while providing the arcuate step portion 53 allows for lateral clearance of the dial needle capture member 34 even in its spread condition as the dial needle 4 is moved between the retracted and extended positions. An example of the dimensions of a typical dial slot and needle width is as follows: (see FIG. 7)

Inches Needle width .025 Lateral distance between side wall 51 and foreshortened side wall 52 .027 Needle capture member width .006 Lateral distance between side wall 51 and 54 .070 Width of needle and needle capture member .045

Another feature of the dial which is best illustrated in FIG. 10, is the undercut at 60 about the periphery of the dial to allow for floating in an elastic yarn when the dial needles and cylinder needles are cooperating to form a rib stitch. The placement of the undercut 60 is such that the dial needles and cylinder needles do not stitch the elastic yarn, but rather miss it in order that the yarn may be floated in to give better elastic qualities to the welt of the hose being knit. As may be seen in FIG. 10, as the dial needle 4 moves to its extended position, the hook 40 of the dial needle 4 cams the elastic yarn downwardly so that the yarn passes under the needle rather than over the hook, thus preventing the elastic yarn from being stitched. The undercut, however, retains the elastic yarn in proper position as it is carried about the periphery of the dial between its feed finger and the knitting station.

The operation of the present invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. For purposes of illustration the active cylinder needles are designated 3a, while the inactive cylinder needles onto which the last course of loops 20 on the dial needles is transferred are designated 3b. FIG. 1 illustrates the conventional rib knitting operation wherein the active cylinder 3a cooperates with the dial needle in a conventional manner to form a rib knit. FIG. 2 illustrates the position of the dial needle and the inactive cylinder needle 3b just after the transfer cycle commences. As is shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, the

dial needle is in the retracted position and is starting to move towards the extended position by the cams 12 and the dial cam ring 11. Simultaneously, suitable mechanism, for example a rising cam (not shown) engages the butts of the jacks underlying the inactive cylinder needle 3b, and starts raising the needle 311. At the same time, the sinker ring 5 moves the sinker 6 to the right as shown as shown in FIG. 2 to engage the last full stitch and to hold and maintain pressure on the needle loop 20 engaged in the hook 40 of the dial needle 4. FIG. 3 shows the dial needle 4 in the full extended position, the sinker acting as a holding down device has engaged the last full stitch causing the loop 20 to open the latch 41 of the dial needle 4 and the rising cam has caused the inactive needle 3b to pass through the loop 20 prior to entering the pocket formed by the recess 33 in the cylinder needle capture member 34. The engagement of the needle 3b into the pocket may cause the cylinder needle capture member to be displaced laterally out of the plane of the drawing as indicated in FIG. 3.

In the next phase of the transfer operation, the dial needle moves towards the retracted position or to the right as in FIG. 3, the lip 38 of the cylinder needle capture member 34 being displaced laterally to allow the cylinder needle 3b to pass out of the pocket and pick off the loop 20 on the round out portion 42 of the dial needle 4. It should be noted that the loop 20 passes over the lip 38 of the needle capture member so as to insure engagement of the loop on the cylinder needle as the dial needle moves towards the retracted position. As the dial needle approaches the fully retracted position the loop 20 now engaged in the hook of the cylinder needle 3b causes the latch 41 of the dial needle 4 to close over the hook40. Allowing the loop 20 to pass over the hook completes the transfer operation and thereafter knitting commences in a conventional plain kit utilizing all the needles of the cylinder.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, with the dial needle 4 in the extended position, lateral movement of the dial needle is prevented because the heel 30 of the dial needle 4 remains in the portion of the slot bounded by the left hand upstanding side wall 51 and the foreshortened upstanding side wall 52 of the dial 2. The cylinder needle capture member 34 on the other hand is free to move laterally even as the dial needle moves back to its retracted position. This is due, as previously mentioned, to the relatively great lateral width of the arcuate step portion 53. Because of the novel construction of the dial cooperating with the cylinder needle capture member, a slightly bent cylinder needle will pick off the yarn from the dial needle, and because the dial needle is not laterally displaced upon transfer, but held by the above-mentioned portion of the slot, the invention prevents severe yarn distortion defects sometimes noticeable in transfer operations taking place on other circular knitting machines.

Therefore the present invention provides means whereby severe yarn distortion and nus-stitching in the transfer operation is reduced by providing means on the dial needles in cooperation with the dial slots to prevent such mis-stitching, smashups and excessive lateral movement of the dial needles.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and numerous changes and details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed:

1. A circular rib knitting machine comprising a cylinder having needle slots and a dial having needle slots, dial needles slidable in said dial needle slots, cylinder needles slidable in said cylinder, jacks engaging said dial needles and operable to displace the needles in said dial slots between retracted and extended positions, an offset wall portion defining a cylinder needle recess intersecting the lower edge of said dial needle and confined entirely to one face of said needle, a cylinder needle capture member attached to said jack and adapted to extend substantially over said offset wall portion, said cylinder needle being displaceable upwardly into engagement between said ofiset wall and said needle capture member following displacement of said dial needle to its extended position, said dial slots comprising a plurality of slots radiating from the central portion of said dial, each of said slots having an arcuate bottom wall terminating on one side in an upstanding side wall and on the other side by a foreshortened upstanding side wall, said foreshortened upstanding side wall terminating in an arcuate step portion substantially parallel to the arcuate bottom wall, said step portion terminating in a second upstanding side wall, said foreshortened upstanding side wall and said first upstanding side wall in spaced relation to accommodate the width of the lower portion of a dial needle associated therewith while minimizing lateral movement of said dial needle as said cylinder needle engages between said oifset wall portion and said capture member, said needle capture member terminating at its lower end short of the lower edge of said dial needle a distance greater than the height of said foreshortened side wall whereby said capture member overlies said step portion and is disposed intermediate said needle and said second upstanding side wall.

2. A circular rib knitting machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said jacks are aligned vertically with said dial needles in said machine and said cylinder needle capture member is spaced upwardly on said jack on the same side as said offset wall portion defining a recess to allow for lateral movement of said capture member, said capture member cooperating with said oflset wall portion so as to form a pocket into which said cylinder needle may move.

3. A circular rib knitting machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cylinder needle capture member has a leading and trailing edge, said leading edge having a lip portion at its lower terminus projecting toward said dial needle and in engagement therewith, said trailing edge projecting toward said dial needle at its lower terminus and in engagement with said dial needle, said olfset wall portion and said lower terminus of said needle capture member defining a pocket into which the cylinder needle may move for transferring yarn loops from said dial needles to said cylinder needles.

4. A circular rib knitting machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein the round out portion of said dial needle has means defining a detent into which said lip portion of the leading edge of said needle capture member seats, thereby preventing yarn loops on said dial needle from entering said pocket defined by said capture member and said needle capture member and said offset wall portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,150 4/08 Foster 66--24 1,418,345 6/22 Witherell 66-95 2,111,476 3/38 McAdams 66-123 X 2,914,934 12/59 Thore 66-123 FOREIGN PATENTS 460,934 2/ 37 Great Britain.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CIRCULAR RIB KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A CYLINDER HAVING NEEDLE SLOTS AND A DIAL HAVING NEEDLE SLOTS, DIAL NEEDLES SLIDABLE IN SAID DIAL NEEDLE SLOTS, CYLINDER NEEDLES SLIDABLE IN SAID CYLINDER, JACKS ENGAGING SAID DIAL NEEDLES AND OPERABLE TO DISPLACE THE NEEDLES IN SAID DIAL SLOTS BETWEEN RETRACTED AND EXTENDED POSITIONS, AN OFFSET WALL PORTION DEFINING A CYLINDER NEEDLE RECESS INTERSECTING THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID DIAL NEEDLE AND CONFINED ENTIRELY TO ONE FACE OF SAID NEEDLE, A CYLINDER NEEDLE CAPTURE MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID JACK AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY OVER SAID OFFSET WALL PORTION, SAID CYLINDER NEEDLE BEING DISPLACEABLE UPWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID OFFSET WALL AND SAID NEEDLE CAPTURE MEMBER FOLLOWING DISPLACEMENT OF SAID DIAL NEEDLE TO ITS EXTENDED POSITION, SAID DIAL SLOTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS RADIATING FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID DIAL, EACH OF SAID SLOTS HAVING AN ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL TERMINATING ON ONE SIDE IN AN UPSTANDING SIDE WALL AND ON THE OTHER SIDE BY A FORESHORTENED UPSTANDING SIDE WALL, SAID FORESHORTENED UPSTANDING SIDE WALL TERMINATING IN AN ARCUATE STEP PORTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE ARCUATE BOTTOM WALL, SAID STEP 